I plant pansies where homophobic abuse is experienced, I then entitle the pansy in its location after the abuse received. This blog supplements The Pansy Project main website situated at www.thepansyproject.com with additional images and comment.

18-Oct-2011

Tatty Devine & The Pansy Project

The Tatty Devine & The Pansy Project Brooches are ready and available on Tatty Devine's website here! Here's the statement and description of this latest venture!

"Artist Paul Harfleet plants pansies at the site of homophobic abuse. Each location is photographed and named after the abuse received. The Pansy Project has many incarnations; small scale unmarked individual plantings, free pansy 'Hand Outs' where the artist speaks to passersby about the project, installations of thousands of flowers at the site of homophobia and exhibitions of the photographs the artist has made over the last five years. The Pansy Project has featured in festivals and exhibitions around the world and last year won a Gold Medal at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show in the ‘Conceptual Garden’ category.

As The Pansy Project has developed the artist has often worked with large organisations from police forces to queer festivals to various voluntary organisations understandably all have had varying expectations of The Pansy Project and its role as artwork. Harfleet has negotiated and considered carefully various issues regarding how The Pansy Project is represented. A frequent request from many organisations has been the creation of some kind of badge, pin, or ribbon as the pansy appears to fit well within this charitable methodology; such as the poppy which honours the war dead. Paul was cautious throughout discussions regarding this issue as whatever badge, brooch etc created would simply be a pansy on a lapel and would lose the contrast or political edge the artist thought was most effective about The Pansy Project.

So when collaboration between Tatty Devine and ‘The Pansy Project’ arose Harfleet approached the prospect with eagerness and used the opportunity to consider how to incorporate written abuse within the proposed decorative jewellery object. Tatty Devine completely embraced the quirky edginess of this idea and have understood completely the motivations in creating this piece. The resulting collaborative brooch embodies some of the best qualities of The Pansy Project, it initially appears as a pretty non-offensive flower adorning a lapel or cardigan but on closer inspection quotes the most frequently hurled homophobic abuses; “Fucking Dyke!” “Queer Boy!” and “Fucking Faggot!” are all depressingly frequent titles of planted pansies but in the context of jewellery this quote can be worn with political purpose. The size of the piece enables the meaning of the pin to be gradually revealed when closely examined. This examination most likely preserved for trusted friends and allies is intended to create surprise and curiosity in the viewer who will then ask questions about the nature of the piece of the wearer thus continuing the conversational nature of The Pansy Project and its evolution as a method to explore the peculiarities of homophobia and its continued existence in society."